Wednesday, January 18, 2006

DAILY MITZVAH (Maimonides): Thursday, January 19, 2006

B"H

Tevet 19, 5766 * January 19, 2006

==================================================
D A I L Y M I T Z V A H (M A I M O N I D E S )
==================================================

Today's Mitzvot (Day 139 of 339):

Positive Mitzvot 131 and 125
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction to Mitzvot 125 - 135:

Agricultural Laws Applying in Eretz Yisrael

HaShem gave us many opportunities to show appreciation for the
way He cares for us and enables us to live comfortably in His world.

When a person lives in Eretz Yisrael, G-d's hand is even more
apparent. Eretz Yisrael is our holy land, chosen by HaShem.

A farmer, delighted in the produce of his land, or any person enjoying
the fruit of the earth, must remember that it is HaShem who provides
us with all our needs.

The Torah commands us to set aside certain portions of our produce
to show our thanks for HaShem's generosity and goodness.

The Torah commands us to give these portions to our representatives,
the priests and Levites, who serve G-d in the Beit HaMikdash.

The priests and Levites dedicate their lives to carrying out the
service of HaShem, representing all the Jewish people.

They do not make their living as the rest of the people, working the
land or dealing in business and trade. Therefore, it is appropriate
that the people contribute to them in appreciation of their holy
service.

(These Mitzvot only apply in Eretz Yisrael.)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Positive Mitzvah 131: Declaration for Tithes

-Deuteronomy 26:13 "And you shall say before the L-rd your G-d,
I have removed the holy things...and also have
given to the Levite..."

David's mother assigned him specific chores and responsibilities
around the house.

To be sure that David did not neglect his chores, his mother decided
that every Friday, David would have to report to his father when he
had completed his jobs.

The system proved effective!

David could not imagine himself standing before his father mumbling
some lame excuse why he had not completed his tasks.

A Jew is obligated to give various kinds of tithes from his produce.

He may be very busy, live far from Jerusalem, or possibly forget.

The Torah commands him to stand before HaShem in the Beit HaMikdash
and declare that he has fulfilled his obligations and given all the
tithes required of him.

This declaration is done on Passover of the fourth and seventh year
of the Shemitah cycle.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Positive Mitzvah 125: Presenting the First Fruit

-Exodus 23:19 "You shall bring the first of the fruits of
your land that ripen "

A farmer observes with pride and satisfaction the first-fruits
that ripen on his trees.

As he sees the first juicy grapes growing, he is very anxious to
taste them, but he knows that he must set them aside and bring them
to the Beit HaMikdash. There, he presents them to the priest.

This Positive Mitzvah applies only to those seven kinds of foods that
Eretz Yisrael was specifically blessed with.

They are: Wheat; Barley; Grapes; Figs; Pomegranates; Olives; Dates.

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"TODAY'S DAY": Thursday, January 19, 2006

B"H

Tevet 19, 5766 * January 19, 2006

=======================
"T O D A Y ' S D A Y"
=======================

Sunday, Tevet 19 5703

Torah lessons: Chumash: Sh'mot, First Parsha with Rashi.
Tehillim: 90-96.
Tanya: Ch. 12 The "intermediate (p. 47)...throughout
his life.

Chabad chassidim have a tradition from generations, instituted by
the Alter Rebbe, that every day we study a Parsha of Chumash of that
week's Sedra with Rashi. This was done by the Rebbe'im too.

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Compiled and arranged by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 5703 (1943) from the talks and letters of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe. Note: day of week and Torah lessons indicated are from 5703 (1943).

For a glossary of terms used in "Today's Day" please click here:
http://chabad.org/article.asp?AID=95867

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TODAY IN JUDAISM: Thursday, January 19, 2006

B"H

Tevet 19, 5766 * January 19, 2006

=================================
T O D A Y I N J U D A I S M
=================================

* Laws * Customs * Jewish History * Daily Quote * Daily Study *

Today is: Thursday, Tevet 19, 5766

=======================
Today in Jewish History
=======================

• Judah Touro (1854)

The 19th of Tevet the yahrtzeit (anniversary of the passing) of American Jewish philanthropist Judah Touro (1775-1854).

Link: About Judah Touro [http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/touro.html]

===========
Daily Quote
===========

Why have You done bad to this people?!

- Moses to G-d (Exodus 5:22)

===========
Daily Study
===========

Chitas and Rambam for today:

Chumash: Shemot, 5th Portion Shemot 3:16-4:17 with Rashi
• English Text:
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/rashi/default.asp?tDate=1/19/2006&src=ds

Tehillim: Chapters 90 - 96
• Hebrew text:
http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/tehillim.asp?tDate=1/19/2006&Lang=HEB
• English text:
http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/tehillim.asp?tDate=1/19/2006

Tanya: Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 13
• Lesson in Tanya:
http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tDate=1/19/2006
• RealAudio:
http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/audio.asp?what=tanya&tDate=1/19/2006&format=rm
• Windows Media:
http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/audio.asp?what=tanya&tDate=1/19/2006&format=m3u

Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:
http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/seferHamitzvos.asp?tDate=1/19/2006
• 1 Chapter: Zechiyah uMattanah Chap. 1
http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/rambam.asp?tDate=1/19/2006&rambamChapters=1
• 3 Chapters: Ma`aser Sheni vaNeta Reva`i Chap. 11, Bikurim Chap. 1, 2
http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/rambam.asp?tDate=1/19/2006&rambamChapters=3

Hayom Yom:
• English Text:
http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/hayomyom.asp?tDate=1/19/2006

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LESSONS IN TANYA: Thursday, January 19, 2006

B"H

Tevet 19, 5766 * January 19, 2006

===============================
L E S S O N S I N T A N Y A
===============================

Today's Lesson:

Likutei Amarim
(Middle of Chapter Thirteen)
--------------

Even if one's entire aspiration is in G-d's Torah, which he studies
day and night for its own sake, this is still no proof whatever that
the evil has been dislodged from its place.

Perhaps, rather, the essence and substance of the evil are in their
full strength and might in its abode in the left part of the heart,
except that its garments - namely, the thought, speech and action of
the animal soul - are not invested in the brain, mouth and hands and
other parts of the body, [to think and do that which is forbidden],
because G-d has granted the mind supremacy and dominion over the
heart.

Therefore the divine soul in the mind rules over the "small city,"
i.e., [over] all the parts of the body, making them, [the body's
organs], serve as "garment and vehicle"

[I.e., as a means of expression ("garment") that is totally
subservient to its user (as is a "vehicle" to its rider); thus,
because of its G-d-given supremacy, the divine soul is able to use
the body's organs as a "garment and vehicle]" - through which its
three "garments" - namely, the thought, speech and action of the
Torah's 613 commandments - are expressed "[clothed]".

[It may be, then, that with regard to this individual's thinking and
speaking words of Torah and performing the mitzvot, the divine soul
rules over the body; in this area the divine soul has the upper hand
and the animal soul is subservient].

However, in its essence and substance the divine soul has no
preponderance over the essence and substance of the animal soul,
in the case of a Beinoni, except at those times when his love for
G-d manifests itself in his heart on propitious occasions such as
during prayer and the like.

[Then, as mentioned in the previous chapter, the Beinoni is aroused
to a burning love of G-d that causes the evil of the animal soul to
be nullified before the goodness of the divine soul.

Even then, [during those times when the divine soul gains the upper
hand over the animal soul], it is limited to preponderance and
dominion alone, [i.e., the divine soul succeeds in dominating the
animal soul, not in vanquishing it, in the sense of nullifying its
essence].

As is written [of the battle between Jacob and Esau, (6) allegorically
representing the war between the good and evil in man's soul]: "And
one nation shall PREVAIL over the other." [Jacob, exemplifying the
good, merely *prevails* over Esau, the evil, but does not succeed in
totally vanquishing him.

This agrees with our Sages' comment on this verse]: "When this one
rises [and prevails] that one falls, and when that one
rises .... [this one falls]."

[The animal soul, although it had "fallen" during prayer, is
afterwards able to "rise" and rally once again, indicating that the
divine soul had not succeeded in vanquishing it even during prayer,
for which reason even its dominance is only temporary]. (7)

Thus, the divine soul gains strength and ascendancy over the animal
soul, in the source of strength ["Gevurot"], which is understanding
["Binah"] -

[In the Kabbalah's description of the Sefirot, Binah is the source
of Gevurah. In terms of one's divine soul, this means that the
source of its strength ("Gevurah") to combat the animal soul is
found in its faculty of understanding ("Binah"), the faculty with
which it understands the greatness of G-d].

[Thus, when the divine soul gains strength ... over the animal soul
..during prayer,] pondering on the greatness of G-d, the blessed Ein
Sof, and [thereby] giving birth to intense and flaming love of G-d in
the right part of his heart; and then [when the divine soul dominates
the animal soul with its intense and revealed love of G-d], the sitra
achra [the evil of the animal soul] in the left part of the heart is
subjugated.

But it is not entirely abolished, in the case of the Beinoni; it is
so only in a tzaddik, concerning whom it is said, (8) "My heart is
void (9) within me." [The abode in the heart usually occupied by the
evil inclination is void in the heart of a tzaddik].

He - [the tzaddik] - despises and loathes evil with a consummate
hatred [if he is a "complete" tzaddik], or without quite such utter
hatred [if he is an "incomplete" tzaddik], as explained above [in
chapter 10.

All the above applies to the tzaddik]. But in a Beinoni [the evil
merely lies dormant], as with a sleeping man, for example, who can
awaken from his sleep [at any time and reactivate his faculties].

So is the evil in the Beinoni dormant, as it were, in the left part
of the heart], not functioning at all, not even desiring physical
pleasures] - during the recital of the Shema and Amidah, when his
heart is aglow with the love of G-d, [causing the evil of the animal
soul to be dormant]. [Therefore,] after prayer it can reawaken.

[The Alter Rebbe will now describe an even higher level of Beinoni
- one who is permeated throughout the day with the same degree of
love for G-d that he feels during prayer. The animal soul of such
a Beinoni is permanently dormant. Accordingly, we will understand
how it was possible for Rabbah to classify himself mistakenly as
a Beinoni.

In chapter 1 it was proved that the term Beinoni could not refer (as
a literal interpretation would lead us to believe) to a person half
of whose deeds are virtuous and half sinful. Were this so, how could
such a sage like Rabbah, who never neglected his Torah study for even
a moment, make the mistake of classifying himself as a Beinoni?

However, the Alter Rebbe's definition of Beinoni as one who does not
sin in practice, does not seem to satisfy this difficulty. Indeed,
as the Alter Rebbe explained in chapter 12, a Beinoni never sins;
yet he has sinful desires. Rabbah, who was in fact a tzaddik, must
have known full well that he was free of such desire. How then could
he even mistakenly classify himself as a Beinoni?

According to the discussion which now follows concerning the level
of the Beinoni who never even desires evil, this matter is readily
understood]:

For this reason Rabbah considered himself a Beinoni, though his
mouth never ceased from Torah study, and his desire was in [studying]
G-d's Torah day and night, with a craving, desire and longing, his
soul yearning for G-d with overwhelming love, such as that experienced
during the recitation of the Shema and the Amidah.

[During prayer, as mentioned above, the Beinoni's heart is aroused
to a love of G-d so passionate that he does not feel the evil of his
animal soul at all. Rabbah, however, experienced this arousal of love
not only during prayer but throughout the day. Therefore, his animal
soul was always dormant and he never desired mundane matters.

It was therefore possible for him to consider himself a Beinoni, for]
he appeared in his own *eyes* as a Beinoni who prays all day, [i.e.,
a Beinoni who throughout the day retains the level attained during
prayer], as, indeed, our Sages have said, (10). "Would that a man pray
the whole day long!"

[Such a Beinoni is constantly ablaze with the love of G-d, and
consequently his desire for evil is always dormant, as explained.
Therefore, the absence of any evil desires did not conclusively prove
to Rabbah that he was a tzaddik; it was still possible for him to
maintain that he was a Beinoni - a Beinoni "who prays all day long."

What emerges from all that has been said is that even during prayer
when the Beinoni succeeds in arousing his love of G-d and rendering
the evil dormant, his divine soul has merely prevailed over his animal
soul but has not vanquished it, for which reason it is possible for
this state to cease after prayer. Therefore, the Beinoni's level of
divine service is not considered truthful when compared to the service
of the tzaddik. For "truth" implies continuity and consistency.

The Alter Rebbe goes on to explain that nevertheless, the Beinoni's
love - relative to his standing - is considered a true form of
service].

Footnotes:

6. Bereishit 25:23.
7. Based on a note by the Rebbe. The Rebbe explains
thereby why the Alter Rebbe quotes only half of the second phrase -
"When this one (referring to the divine soul) rises, that one (the
animal soul) falls; and when that one (the animal soul) rises ...."
- without concluding the part of the quotation that deals with the
divine soul. The Alter Rebbe's purpose in quoting the second phrase
is to show that the animal soul could rise once again, though it
had "fallen" during prayer. The rest of the phrase is thus
irrelevant here.
8. Tehillim 109:22.
9. The word Chalal has two meanings: "void", and "slain". The Rebbe
points out that the Alter Rebbe understands the Chalal of
this verse to mean "void". This may be inferred from chapter 1,
where he interprets the verse as meaning that "he (David HaMelech)
had no Yetzer Hara." The Alter Rebbe continues there: "for he had
slain it through fasting," only as added explanation (not in order
to interpret the word Chala) - to indicate that David had not
attained the level of Avraham Avinu, who had transformed his Yetzer
Hara (as stated in Talmud Yerushalmi, end of Berachot ch. 9; David
had merely slain it. In the case of Avraham Avinu, his heart was
indeed not void, but in fact this was his virtue: his heart still
housed the Yetzer Hara, but that Yetzer Hara had undergone such a
metamorphosis that is was now a Yetzer Tov.
From Rashi's commentary on Berachot, however, and also from the
plain sense of the Yerushalmi, it appears that the meaning
of Chalal is "slain." In his commentary on this verse in Tehillim,
Rashi cites both interpretations.
10. Berachot 21a.

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Parshat Shemot

Parshat Shemot

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This week's section begins the awesome saga of the 210 year imprisonment and
miraculous escape of an entire nation. Never even vaguely similar in
history has anything occurred nor has any religion or nation even claimed
so; the scope and depth of these events simply defies human imagination.

But, after all, the story of Exodus is not understood from the beginning.

Why did the Jews have to go into slavery?

It couldn't be because of sins or transgressions; almost all of them (except
seventy) were born after they went into Egypt.

It couldn't be because nature just took it's course; G-d controls and
directs all and nothing happens by accident.

Not only that, G-d is good, merciful, patient, kind and He loves all His
creations (145:8,9). Especially the Jewish people (Ex 4:22).

So why did they suffer terribly for two hundred and ten years in exile??

Here is a story that might help us to understand (Shmuot V'sipurim, Rabbi
R.N.HaCohen book 1 pg 251)

Some two hundred and fifty years ago in the Ukrainian city of T'shish'nik
lived Reb Berel; a devoted Chassid of the great Tzadik, Rebbe Mordechai of
Chernobyl .

Reb Berel had a fairly large house and was respected by the entire community
for his good heart and good deeds so it was understandable that whenever
Rebbe Mordechi came to T'shish'nik he stayed by his house.

Indeed, Reb Berel and his family waited for those visits impatiently the
entire year, or even longer. His whole life was centered around his Rebbe.
The Rebbe was his friend, his inspiration, his teacher, his leader his very
soul. The Rebbe's teachings, his motions, his advice, his eyes, that is what
kept Reb Berel happy and optimistic in the midst of the misery, tragedy and
oppression surrounding the Jews from every side.

So we can imagine Reb Berel's joy when he heard that in one week's time the
Rebbe would be arriving in T'shish'nik for a week's visit!!

Reb Berel and his family had spent the entire week cleaning and polishing
every corner of the house, preparing food, books, a quiet place.. like the
Rebbe liked. And sure enough, as every year, the big day came! The Rebbe's
personal secretary came to Reb Berel's house to see if everything was ready.

But this time the secretary had a strange look on his face; something other
than the usual enthusiasm and joy.

"Listen, Reb Berel" the secretary said seriously as he took him to a table
in the corner and sat down opposite him.

"Is something wrong?" Reb Berel asked, a look of bewilderment replacing the
smile on his face.

"Well, it's like this" the secretary said leaning forward earnestly. "The
Rebbe said he's not staying by your house."

"What!?" gasped Reb Berel, tears forming in his eyes "Why? What happened? Is
everything...?"

"Everything is all right" said the secretary "But the Rebbe said that he's
not staying here and he never wants to see your face again unless you bring
him two thousand rubles." Reb Berel's mouth fell open and his eyes widened
in horror as his head shook 'no' in disbelief. The secretary continued as
he began standing up.

"The Rebbe says that he doesn't want you to attend his meals, to be in the
Synagogue when he prays or even to watch him walk in the streets, nothing.
In fact, he said he never wants to see you again, ever! Unless you bring the
money."

With this he shook poor Reb Berrl's hand, who was sitting there like a
stunned cow whispering to himself, "two thousand", shrugged his shoulders as
to say he wished he could help and left.

Reb Berel was swooning. He meekly called to his wife and when she came
running into the room and heard the news she held her head in her hands and
fell, almost fainted, into the seat opposite him.

Two thousand rubles was a fortune!!

After a short reckoning they realized that even if they sold everything
including their house and took out loans they would barely reach one third
the amount. Usually they would go to the Rebbe with their problems! But
now!! OY!! Why had the Tzadik left them? Why was he being so severe? They
searched and searched their deeds of the past month, the past year, the past
ten years for as far back as they could remember . but they couldn't figure
it out.

Their only recourse was prayer.

They both grabbed books of Psalms and began pouring out their souls, reading
and rereading aloud most of that night and the entire next day, then the
next day and the next, over and over again; weeping and pleading with broken
hearts to HaShem that He have mercy and send them the money.

But the week ended and nothing happened; No money, no Tzadik and no hope.
They were alone.

Then, just as they thought it couldn't be worse, it got worse! An entire
battalion of barbaric Russian soldiers who had just returned from some sort
of successful raid swept into town and took over the houses; twenty five
soldiers were assigned to Berel's house. He had to vacate his own bed as
well as provide food and lodging for them on punishment of death.

In just moments his sparkling clean home became a shambles. The soldiers
wasted no time in eating everything they could and laying down to sleep
anywhere they wanted. Reb Berel and his wife had to sleep in the hay loft.
But he thanked G-d that things weren't worse. at least the soldiers left
them alive!

Then, suddenly in the middle of the night Berel was awakened by the sound of
trumpets. He peered out the window of the loft to see soldiers running out
of all the houses on the block, as well as his, with all their gear. It was
a call to order. Berel hoped they weren't going to be given orders to kill
everyone. He began reading Psalms again. But the soldiers all mounted their
horses and rode off like a huge horde of locusts just as they had entered.

Rab Berel and his wife dragged themselves back into their house, it looked
like a hurricane hit the place but they thanked G-d that the invaders had
left. They went to their room to sleep in their own beds when suddenly
Berel's wife noticed that from under Berel's bed protruded a wide, low
wooden crate. But they were too tired to do anything about it. They left it
for the morning and went to sleep.

The next morning they woke up, pulled out the crate and opened it to see
that IT WAS FILLED WITH GOLDEN COINS!

In fact, what had happened was that shortly after the soldiers left they
realized that one of their chests of booty was missing.

Their commander immediately dispatched twenty men to return to the town and
find it and in no time they were back in T'shish'nik, waking every family
and ransacking every house one at a time.

But for some reason they kept missing Rab Berel's after a few hours of
futility they concluded that either they made a mistake in calculation or
had lost it somewhere else and returned to their commander empty handed.

But all this was completely unknown to Rab Berel; he slept through the whole
thing. He held on to the crate for another few months waiting for someone to
claim it and when they didn't finally decided to ask the Rebbe what to do.
The crate had no markings on it, no names and he certainly had no idea where
the soldiers were; maybe it was his.

He took two thousand rubles of the money, only a small portion of it, and
traveled to the city of Chernobyl.

He arrived with trepidation and immediately got an audience and when he
entered the Rebbe's room the Rebbe was smiling.

"The money is yours". He said. "All of it. And you can keep this money
also.

"But, but I thought." Berel stammered. "I thought you wanted two thousand
rubles. See? Here's the money."

"No, Berel" answered the Rebbe "I saw that a fortune was waiting for you but
you were missing two things; humility and prayer.

The fact that you hosted me every year in T'shish'kin gave you a bit of
false self-confidence and the fact that you never really broke down and
prayed to G-d with all your heart for anything in your entire life . those
two things prevented the blessing from reaching you. The money they left is
really yours. You just had to want to leave your present state with all your
being."

Needless to say Reb Berel gave a lot of what he had to charity for the rest
of his long and generous life.

Now we can understand why the Jews were put in exile and G-d even promised
Abraham some two hundred years earlier that it would happen. Because the
exile in Egypt gave the Jews what they were lacking to receive the Torah and
be G-d's chosen people; humility and a strong desire to pray, to do
everything possible and to depend on G-d for drastic and total change.

And this would be necessary for all future generations (especially ours; the
generation of Moshiach) as well. As we say in the Hagadah of Passover
(explained in Chapter 47 of the Tanya), "Constantly one must see himself as
though he is leaving Egypt."

And as the Lubavitcher Rebbe explained the Mishna (Brachot 1:8 also brought
in the Hagada) "All the days of your life; bring to the days of Moshiach"

We must constantly strive to leave Egypt, i.e. our egotism and false
limitations, even our spiritual ones, that prevent us from realizing our
G-dly potentials (the Hebrew word for Egypt; Mitzraim, is similar to that
for limitations; Mitzarim).

And specifically this is what will bring Moshiach, the true and final
redeemer, who will teach all mankind how to truly leave our small limited
worlds of war, hate, selfishness, disease and eventually even death.

It all depends on us. The terrible exile we are in now, like the terrible
one in Egypt, exists only to force us to leave our limited outlooks on life,
begin seeing the world in the eyes of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and do all we
can to reveal....

Moshiach NOW!!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel

_______________________________________________________
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TORAH STUDIES: Parshat Shemot

B"H

Tevet 18, 5766 * January 18, 2006

=========================
T O R A H S T U D I E S
=========================

Parshat Shemot
--------------

In this Sidra, when G-d asks Moses to undertake the mission of redeeming the Israelites from Egypt, Moses replies, “Send, I pray You, by the hand of whom You will send.” The Midrash interprets this to be a plea for the Messiah to be sent in his place. What is the connection between Moses and the Messiah—the past and future redeemers? And what is the difference between them, that each was given a separate mission? The Rebbe answers these questions, and explains their significance in the life of the individual Jew.

1. The Two Redeemers

After G-d has repeatedly asked Moses to return to Egypt and lead the Jewish people out of their captivity, Moses finally says, “Send, I pray You, by the hand of whom You will send.” The Midrash says on this verse, “(Moses) said before Him, ‘Master of the Universe, send, I pray You, by the hand of whom You will send’—by the hand of the Messiah who will be the future redeemer.” But this request of Moses was not granted, for it was he, specifically, whom G-d wanted to deliver Israel from Egypt.

It can be inferred from the Midrash that there is a special connection between Moses and the Messiah, and it was because of this that Moses wanted the Messiah himself to be sent to Egypt. Nonetheless, the redemption from Egypt was the task of Moses; the mission of the Messiah belongs to the final exile.

The similarity which they share (in virtue of which they have been given similar tasks—redemption from exile) is indicated in the Rabbinic saying: “Moses was the first and he will be the last redeemer.” This does not mean that Moses in person will be the Messiah (since he was a Levite, and the Messiah, who will be a descendant of David, will be from the tribe of Judah); but rather that the redemptive power of the Messiah will be drawn from Moses.

The reason is that the first and major virtue of the Messiah will be Torah (according to Rambam, he will be steeped in it); from this, his redemptive strength will be drawn; and the Torah is called “the Torah of Moses.” Likewise, the power of Israel to bring the Messiah derives from the service articulated in the Torah.

This inner connection between Moses and the Messiah is alluded to in the verse “And the scepter shall not depart from Judah . . . until Shiloh come (ad ki-yavo Shilo).” This is taken to refer to the Messiah, because the words “yavo Shiloh” and “Mashiach” (“Shiloh come” and “Messiah”) are numerically equivalent. The same equivalence also applies to the words “Shiloh” and “Moses” so that the coming of the Messiah is related to Moses. In addition, “yavo” (“come”) has the same numerical value as “echad” (“one”). Thus we can state the equivalence: “Messiah = Moses + One,” and its meaning is that the Messiah will be brought by service which has the attribute of “Oneness”; and the power to achieve this is transmitted through Moses.

2. Descent For The Sake Of Ascent

How are we to understand this?

The Rabbis said: When the world was created, everything was in a state of perfection. But after the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, when the serpent infected Eve with impurity, man and the world fell from perfection until the Giving of the Torah; for when Israel were at Mt. Sinai the “spirit of impurity” departed. But it returned with the sin of the Golden Calf, and it remains in the world until the Messianic Age when the promise will be fulfilled to remove (utterly destroy) impurity; and the world will be ultimately purified and cleansed.

It is a general principle in Judaism that every fall is for the sake of some ascent; and subsequent ascent is higher than the state before the fall. Hence the state ushered in by the Giving of the Torah was higher than that which preceded Eve’s sin. And by implication the Messianic Age will be superior to the time of the Giving of the Torah.

A twofold movement creates this achievement of hitherto unreached heights: A descent of light (revelation, spiritual power) from its source in the infinite; and a corresponding ascent of Israel and the world.

We find this in the Giving of the Torah. Even though the strength to fulfill Divine commandments preceded it (Adam had 6 commandments, Noah 7, extra ones were given to each of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Fathers kept the whole Torah before it was given), not only was greater strength given at the time of the Giving of the Torah, but a new power, different in kind from all that had existed before, was given to Israel when the relation of chosenness between them and G-d began (“and You have chosen us”). This was a revelation of G-d’s essence; something that had not been disclosed in revelation before.

Likewise, the elevation of Israel and the world was unprecedented—in the inwardness and intensity of their purification. Hence their subsequent degradation, in committing the sin of the Golden Calf, was not so great. Thus, although its effects (the presence of impurity) remain visible today, still, the effects of the Giving of the Torah are evident.

3. The Messianic Age

In a similar way, the elevation that will belong to the Messianic Age—when the Messiah will teach his Torah to all Israel —will be correspondingly greater than that of the Giving of the Torah; and this in two ways:

(i) In the Divine revelation. For though at Sinai it was so intense that they could see it with their physical senses, it was only like the Messianic revelation (when “the Glory of the L-rd will be revealed”) and not equal to it.

(ii) In the elevation of Israel. Whereas at Sinai the spirit of impurity departed, it remained in potential and reappeared with the sin of the Golden Calf. But in the Messianic time it will be destroyed and consumed forever. The whole essential nature of the world itself will be changed; not temporarily altered by specific Divine intervention from Above.

4. The Task Of Exile

Since every elevation must be preceded by a fall, the fall is a necessary preparation for it. It is the service in the time of the fall (while its effects persist) which brings about the elevation. The service of the Fathers, and the catharsis of the “iron furnace” of Egypt, brought the Giving of the Torah. And likewise, the Messiah will be brought by our continual service in exile to purify the whole essence of the world.

5. The Meaning Of “One”

This can be understood by first understanding a well-known difficulty about the Shema. Why does it say, “the L-rd is One” and not “the L-rd is unique?” For “one” is an attribute of a countable thing; it is compatible with a second. But “unique” rules out the possibility of another.

The explanation is this: The true Oneness of G-d is not perceived merely by denying at the outset the existence of anything besides Him (“uniqueness”—world-denying attitude); but rather by perceiving in the midst of the physical world that it has no existence in itself, by feeling in the context of a worldly existence that it is in one with (united with) G-d.

The word “one” itself suggests this. Its letters in Hebrew (echad: alef, chet, daled) have the numerical values, 1, 8, 4.

The number 8 symbolizes, as it were, the seven heavens and the earth, and 4, the four directions. All these are emanations from 1 (alef) the Source and Master (aluf) of the world. In other words, the perception of Oneness must not be a spiritual one alone, but one which permeates one’s whole view of the physical world and is realized in it.

6. Torah and the Transformation of the World

But how can it be that this world whose nature is (and whose name in Hebrew means) the “concealment” of G-dliness, should be receptive to a revelation within it of the Aluf (Master, One) of the universe?

For this purpose, to make the world a fit dwelling-place for G-d, Israel was given the Torah and the commandments.

At Sinai, it was not merely that they were given so that through them the world should be purified and refined; but also the accompanying revelation transmitted the power by which this could be done.

At the moment when the Torah was given, the whole world was entirely nullified in the face of the revelation—even “the birds did not sing and the earth was silent” —but this was a force from above rather than from within (and hence it was not a permanent state).

But from this was derived the world’s power to become refined itself, and hence become a fitting receptacle for a yet higher revelation.

7. Moses and the Messiah

Now we can understand why the Messiah = Moses + One. For the Messiah will be brought by the service which makes the Oneness manifest, and the power to do this was given through the hand of Moses.

Hence the inner connection between Moses and the Messiah: The latter will be brought by powers transmitted through the former. And hence also their difference: The exile to and liberation from Egypt was for the sake of the Giving of the Torah, and this was to give Israel the power to purify themselves and the world. The task of the Messiah is to complete this process, and to innovate the subsequent service, when the purity of the world is complete.

8. “Oneness” And the Individual

Man is a microcosm of the world. And this cosmic process finds its echo in every man at all times: When he works and performs his service until evening; and entrusts his soul to G-d at night; and next day is made new again, and begins a new service.

The service of the day begins with prayer and Torah. Through them a man receives the strength to serve (the G-dly spirit is diffused through his whole being by prayer) and to overcome the inclination to evil (through Torah which instructs him in the right course of action). Then he is able to enact this service in the practical world (to the extent that, as Rambam says, “his wisdom is manifest in his eating and drinking”). His worldly existence (the chet and daled of echad) is subordinated to his Divine wisdom (alef); recognition of Oneness permeates his physical actions.

Then, when his day of service is over, he makes a spiritual reckoning of his day’s actions and rededicates his task to G-d. He says, “Into Your hands I entrust my soul . . . G-d of Truth,” and Truth itself is Oneness. For the Hebrew word for truth is emet—the first, middle and last letters of the alef bet, reminding us that G-d is He who has said, “I am the First and I am the Last, and besides Me there is no god.” There is no reality which does not emanate from Him, for when the alef (the One) is removed from emet, the word becomes met, “death,” the absence of life.

Just as the Torah (through the hand of Moses) gives the world the power to bring the Messiah, so it gives each and every individual the power to refine his own life and environment, and so hasten the Messianic Age.

(Source: Likkutei Sichot, Vol. XI pp. 8-13)

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PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE REBBE SAID: Parshas Shemos

B"H

Tevet 18, 5766 * January 18, 2006

===================================================================
P L E A S E T E L L M E W H A T T H E R E B B E S A I D
===================================================================

Parshas Shemos
--------------

This week’s parshah tells us about the slavery of the Jewish people in Mitzrayim. But the parshah begins, V’eileh Shmos Bnei Yisrael Haboim Mitzrayma — “These are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt.”

But even before they were enslaved, they had already entered Galus. When a Jew leaves Eretz Yisrael and goes to Mitzrayim — he is in Galus. He can immediately feel the difference between Eretz Yisrael and Mitzrayim.

Let’s take an imaginary journey with Bnei Yisrael. They had recently arrived in Mitzrayim. We might hear one Jew talking to another.

“It sure is hot here. Doesn’t it ever rain? The rain would cool off the air and clear it up a bit.”

“Oh no! It hardly ever rains here in Egypt.”

“No rain?! Then how do the crops grow?”

“Why, from the Nile River, of course.”

“The river? Do you mean we will have to draw buckets of water from the river to water our fields? That will take forever!”

“Not at all. The Nile River overflows, and streams of water gush into long irrigation ditches which stretch out for miles and bring water to the fields. Everyone depends upon the river to grow their food.”

“What a difference between this land and Eretz Yisrael! The rain which watered our fields in Eretz Yisrael came down from the heavens. We Jews look upwards to HaShem for rain. Here, the people look down into a river. They depend upon it to make their crops grow. No wonder they worship the Nile River as a god.”

* * *

Life in Mitzrayim makes people feel completely dependent on the Nile River. They are always looking down toward this natural force.

That is also the way people in Galus often think. But it is a mistake to feel that we are totally dependent on nature.

The truth is — and this is the what we should all believe — that HaShem controls everything, including nature. When we look up to the sky and ask HaShem for rain to water our fields, we remember that our food and our very lives depend upon Him.

(Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VI, Shmos)

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PARSHAH IN A NUTSHELL: Week of Week of January 15-21, 2006 (Shemot)

B"H

Tevet 18, 5766 * January 18, 2006

=================================================
T H E P A R S H A H I N A N U T S H E L L
=================================================

TORAH PORTION: Shemot (Exodus 1:1-6:1)

Torah Reading for Week of January 15-21, 2006

On the Web: http://www.chabad.org/Article.asp?AID=3233

- * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * -

The Children of Israel multiply in Egypt. Threatened by their growing numbers, Pharaoh enslaves them and orders the Hebrew midwives, Shifrah and Puah, to kill all male babies at birth. When they do not comply, he commands his people to cast the Hebrew babies into the Nile.

A child is born to Jocheved, the daughter of Levi, and her husband, Amram, and placed in a basket on the river, while the baby's sister, Miriam, stands watch from afar. Pharaoh's daughter discovers the boy, raises him as her son, and names him Moses.

As a young man, Moses leaves the palace and discovers the hardship of his brethren. He sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and kills the Egyptian. The next day he sees two Jews fighting; when he admonishes them, they reveal his deed of the previous day, and Moses is forced to flee to Midian. There he rescues Jethro's daughters, marries one of them - Zipporah - and becomes a shepherd of his father-in-law's flocks.

G-d appears to Moses in a burning bush at the foot of Mount Sinai and instructs him to go to Pharaoh and demand: "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me." Moses' brother, Aaron, is appointed to serve as his spokesman. In Egypt, Moses and Aaron assemble the elders of Israel to tell them that the time of their redemption has come. The people believe; but Pharaoh refuses to let them go, and even intensifies the suffering of Israel.

Moses returns to G-d to protest: "Why have You done evil to this people?" G-d promises that the redemption is close at hand.

* * *

FROM THE WORDS OF OUR SAGES ON THE PARSHAH:

- Pharaoh's daughter... saw the box among the rushes; and she sent her maid ("ammatah") and fetched it (Exodus 2:5)

Another interpretation of this verse renders the Hebrew word ammatah as "her arm" rather than "her maid." Ammatah also means "arm lengths." This is to teach us that "her arm was extended for many arm-lengths" (to enable her to reach the basket). (Talmud; Rashi)

If Moses' basket lay beyond her reach, why did Pharaoh's daughter extend her arm? Could she possibly have anticipated the miracle that her hand would be "extended for many arm-lengths"? There is a profound lesson here. Often, we are confronted with a situation that is beyond our capacity to rectify. Someone or something is crying out for our help, but the matter is simply beyond our reach. So we resign ourselves to inactivity, reasoning that the little we can do won't change anything anyway.

But Pharaoh's daughter heard a child's cry and extended her arm. An unbridgeable distance lay between her and the basket containing the weeping infant, making her action seem utterly pointless. But because she did the maximum of which she was capable, she achieved the impossible. Because she extended her arm, G-d extended its reach, enabling her to save a life and raise the greatest human being ever to walk the face of the earth. (The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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LESSONS IN TANYA: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

B"H

Tevet 18, 5766 * January 18, 2006

===============================
L E S S O N S I N T A N Y A
===============================

Today's Lesson:

Likutei Amarim
Chapter Thirteen
--------------

[In the previous chapter the Alter Rebbe described the spiritual
profile of the Beinoni.

In the Beinoni's heart, said the Alter Rebbe, evil desires may often
arise, but his divine soul constantly prevents such desires from
finding expression in actual thought, speech or action.

On the contrary, these three soul-garments are the exclusive domain
of the divine soul and are utilized by the Beinoni only for thought,
speech and action of Torah study and the fulfillment of the mitzvot].

Accordingly, we may understand the comment of our Sages (1) that
"Beinonim are judged by both [their good and evil inclinations]"
- [both "judge" him and dictate his conduct. As Scriptural support
for this contention, the Talmud cites]:

For it is written:(2) "He - [the Almighty] - stands at the right
hand of the poor man, to save him from them that judge his soul."
[The plural "them that judge" indicates the presence of two judges
within the person, the evil inclination and the good.

We thus find that the Beinoni's inclinations are described as his
"judges."

Now, were the term Beinoni to be understood in its simple, literal
sense of one who has an equal history of good deeds and bad, it
should more properly be said that "the Beinoni is *ruled* by both
[inclinations]". For one to sin, his evil inclination must rule him;
for him to do good his good inclination must rule. The Beinoni who
supposedly does both, must be ruled (and not merely "judged") by
both.

However, according to the explanation of the term Beinoni given in
the previous chapter, it is clear that, indeed, the Beinoni is merely
judged by both inclinations, not ruled by both, as shall be explained
presently].

Note that [our Sages] did not say, "He is RULED by both [the good
inclination and the evil]," G-d forbid, because where the evil
nature gains any rule and dominion, albeit momentarily, over the
"small city," [i.e., whenever the evil rules one's body - likened to
a city which both the good inclination and the evil seek to conquer],
one is deemed "wicked" [rasha] at such times.

Rather, the evil inclination [in the Beinoni] is no more than, for
example, a magistrate or judge who expresses his opinion on a point
of law, yet in fact his decision is not necessarily final, for there
is another magistrate or judge who disagrees with him.

It then becomes necessary, in order to formulate a binding decision,
to arbitrate between the two, and the final verdict will rest with the
arbitrator.

Similarly, [in the battle between the evil inclination and the good]:
The evil inclination states its opinion in the left part of the
[Beinoni's] heart, [i.e., it creates an evil desire in his heart and
demands that he act accordingly, thus rendering "judgment" as to his
future conduct].

From the heart [the desire] ascends to the mind for contemplation.
[This ascent is automatic; whenever a desire is awakened in the heart,
the brain will contemplate it].

Immediately upon its ascent to the brain it is challenged by the
second "judge", the divine soul [residing] in the brain, which
extends into the right part of the heart where the good inclination
abides [i.e., reveals itself.

The good inclination is actually the voice of the divine soul's
emotional attributes, and is hence active in the right part of the
heart; see chapter 9. The good inclination thus battles the evil,
ensuring that the latter's passion not be realized, for the "opinion"
of the good inclination is that all of the body's faculties and organs
be utilized only for matters of holiness].

The final verdict rests with the arbitrator - the Holy One, blessed
be He, who comes to the aid of the good inclination, [enabling it to
prevail over the evil inclination].

As our Sages say, (3) "[Man's evil inclination gathers strength
daily, .... and] if the Almighty did not help him [i.e., help his
good inclination] he could not overcome it [his evil inclination]."

The help [that G-d grants him] is the glow of divine light that
illuminates his divine soul, that it may gain superiority and mastery
over the folly of the "fool", the evil inclination, [a dominion]
paralleling the superiority of light over darkness, as stated above,
[in chapter 12.

Just as a little light banishes much darkness, so is the abounding
folly and darkness of one's evil inclination driven away by dint of
the little light of holiness emanating from his divine soul. It is
this ray of divine illumination that constitutes G-d's assistance to
the divine soul. (4)

The Alter Rebbe now goes on to resolve the contradiction and answer
the question noted in the opening words of the Tanya:

The Talmud states that a Jew is charged with an oath to regard himself
as wicked, whereas elsewhere, the Mishnah declares: "Be not wicked in
your own estimation." Also: "If a person considers himself wicked, he
will be grieved at heart and depressed, and will not be able to serve
G-d joyfully and with a contented heart."

He now explains that the meaning of the oath - which literally reads,
"Be in your own eyes like a rasha" - is that one regard himself not
as an actual rasha, but as like one, having traits similar to those
of a rasha. This means that he must consider himself a Beinoni, who
possesses the same evil in his soul as does a rasha and can desire
evil just as a rasha does.
In the Alter Rebbe's words]:

Yet, inasmuch as the evil in the left part of the Beinoni's heart
is in its native strength, craving after all the pleasures of this
world, and is neither so minute as to be nullified before the good
[of the divine soul (as is the case with a tzaddik)], nor has it
been displaced from its position to any degree, but merely lacks
authority and power to become diffused throughout the limbs of the
body [to cause them to do, speak or think evil;

nor is the evil's lack of ability attributable to the Beinoni's
efforts, for his evil, like that of the rasha, retains its
native strength to pervade the entire body; rather, the evil is
powerless merely] because of the Holy One, blessed be He, who
"stands at the right hand of the poor man," helping him and
irradiating his divine soul [so that it may be able to prevail
over the evil.

Thus it is only Divine intervention that prevents the evil from
pervading the body; essentially, however, the evil of the Beinoni's
animal soul is as strong as it was at birth].

Therefore [the Beinoni] is described as being "k'rasha" "[like a
rasha]", [but *not actually* a rasha], as in the statement of our
Sages, "Even if the whole world tells you that you are a tzaddik,
be in your own eyes *like* a rasha."

He should *not* [regard himself as] an actual rasha, [for the Mishnah
admonishes, (5) "Be not wicked in your own estimation." Moreover,
regarding oneself as a rasha hinders one from serving G-d joyfully].

Rather, one should consider oneself a Beinoni, and should not believe
[i.e., accept] the world's opinion [which would have him believe] that
the evil in him has been nullified by the good, for this is the level
of a tzaddik.

[Only the tzaddik succeeds in nullifying and transforming the
evil within him. But the "world", which judges the Beinoni by his
actions and sees that he never transgresses, asumes that he too
has effectively banished from within him the evil that is the
cause of sin; consequently, people regard him as a tzaddik.

He is therefore cautioned against accepting the opinion of "the
world]."

Instead, he should take the view that the essence and core of the
evil is in its full native strength and might, in the left part of
his heart, not having vanished or departed from him at all.

On the contrary, with the passage of time [the evil] has gained
strength because he utilized it [i.e., the animal soul] considerably,
in eating and drinking and in other mundane pursuits.

[As with every faculty, constant use of the animal soul causes it
to become even stronger than it was at birth.

The Alter Rebbe thus concludes that the words "consider yourself
`like a rasha'" mean that one must consider himself a Beinoni.

The above applies even to those who have reached a lofty spiritual
level; they too should consider themselves Beinonim. For should one
consider himself a tzaddik and maintain that the evil within him has
already been nullified by the good, he will cease to do battle with
the evil.

If he is mistaken and is not in fact a tzaddik, such an unfounded
attitude can cause him to slip drastically from his level, descending
even lower than the level of a Beinoni to that of a rasha.

Until now we have been speaking of a working man who does not have
the opportunity to spend all his time in Torah study and divine
service. Now the discussion turns to the individual who spends all
his time immersed in the study of Torah].

Footnotes:

1. Berachot 61b.
2. Tehillim 109:31.
3. Kiddushin 30b.
4. It was stated in the previous chapter that man's mind innately
rules his heart. Why, then, should he need special divine
assistance in curbing his appetites?
The Rebbe answers:
This divine assistance is necessary whenever the conflict between
the two souls does not involve a struggle of mind vs. heart; e.g.,
(1) when the divine soul wishes to prevent sinful thoughts from
arising in the mind, or
(2) when the emotive faculties of the divine soul seek to overpower
those of the animal soul (without recourse to contemplation and
meditation).
But now the question may be reversed: Why in chapter 12 does the
Alter Rebbe use the argument of the mind's natural supremacy over
the heart to point out the divine soul's supremacy over the animal
soul?
To this the Rebbe answers:
In chapter 12, the Alter Rebbe speaks of the state of the Beinoni
after prayer, when the effect of his meditation on G-dliness during
prayer still lingers in his mind. At such time his mind is
suffused with G-dliness to the point where the animal soul cannot
so much as voice an opinion there. Thus, any struggle between
the souls at that time would be a case of mind vs. heart, where
the natural supremacy of the mind could confer victory on the
divine soul.
5. Avot 2:13.

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DAILY DOSE: Defiant Darkness

B"H

Defiant Darkness
----------------

People ask, "But how could you see so much good in the future when so much evil predominates now —-and it grows day by day?"

But such is the order of things: Darkness was only placed in the world to challenge light. As the light intensifies, the darkness thickens to defy it.

A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the Rebbe
-words and condensation by Tzvi Freeman
Tevet 18, 5766 * January 18, 2006

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